With the national push towards inclusion, more students with disabilities are being placed in general education settings. Furthermore, when placed, more students with disabilities are entering social studies classrooms than any other content area. Classroom teachers are being asked to "reach and teach" all students, often with little support.…

With respect to co-teaching, there is a lack of empirical research at the high school level. Furthermore, few researchers have considered asking high school co-teachers to share their beliefs and perceptions about what makes co-teaching a successful model. To fulfill both the needs of students who are educated in co-taught classrooms and the lofty…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress--commonly called "The Nation's Report Card"--tells a dismal story: Only 2% of high school seniors in 2010 could answer a simple question about the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark "Brown v. Board of Education" decision. And it's no surprise. Across the country, state educational…

This mixed methods multiple case study explored middle school social studies teachers' instructional use of digital technology at three suburban middle schools This mixed methods, multiple-case study explored middle school social studies teachers' instructional use of digital technology at three suburban middle schools in a large Florida school…

Background/Context: Despite the importance of students' active engagement for learning, little is known about how teachers create environments that are supportive of students' positive motivational and learning-related beliefs, particularly at the high school level. Furthermore, most of the studies that have described teacher practices in relation…

The AP Achievement Institute I (APAI I) is a four-day professional development program offered to teachers and administrators by EXCELerator™, a district reform program operated by the College Board. The APAI I program is designed to help teachers develop effective AP instructional strategies for a diverse student body and to help district,…

The 2001 reauthorization of the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)," represented a turning point in federal policy for the education of English Learners (ELs) in U.S. public schools. At the center of the changes in the 2001 reauthorization of the "ESEA" lie the English language proficiency (ELP) standards. These ELP…

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance." Change can be scary. Quite often people find themselves venturing down an unknown path, unsure of what twists and turns will come their way. This uncertainty brings about questions, anxiety, and for some, a sense of panic. Similar emotions…

The Lab School of Washington (LSW) uses a unique approach to teaching social studies and humanities content. As part of its arts-driven lower school program, each child spends 40 minutes a day in dedicated rooms that simulate a specific historical time and place. Called "academic clubs," teachers use these spaces to teach thematic, arts-based,…

The researchers investigated the reflections of preservice middle school teachers (PSMTs) who were enrolled in an activity-based middle level social studies methods course. These reflections concerned the students' past educational experiences. Through weekly journals, the PSMTs were encouraged to reflect on course activities and relate them to…

This article summarizes an experimental study that investigated the use of Renzulli Learning on oral reading fluency, reading comprehension, science achievement, and social studies achievement among 383 elementary and middle schools students. The Renzulli Learning System is an online educational learning system and profiler designed to match…

The federal "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" (NCLB) legislation required school districts to ensure that all teachers of core academic subjects met the requirements to be designated highly qualified by July 1, 2006. However, because no Maryland counties were able to comply with the 100 percent highly qualified designation by July 1,…

Modeling inter-disciplinary teaching and learning practices within a critical pedagogical framework has produced powerful learning outcomes for graduates of the Primary/Middle Bachelor of Education degree at the University of South Australia. This paper explores the notion of how best to prepare beginning teachers to work with students in their…

Drawing on sociological and cognitive psychological perspectives on teacher learning, this comparative case study investigates the myriad influences that shape teachers' learning in two divergent teacher education pathways. Specifically, this article explores a case of the two most common pathways into middle school teaching--the elementary and…

Research on small group interactions indicates that children tend to adopt ideas shared by peers with higher status. This study explored whether this pattern exists in whole-class discussions. Using observations and surveys, children's status was not found to be a significant factor in students' evaluation of peer ideas during whole-class…